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Tipping point: The second the Astros started swinging against Jaime Garcia, who had elbow problems and unsure about making the start until just a day before. The Astros tagged the lefty for six runs in two innings with the big blow a two-run blast by Justin Maxwell.

On the mound: Lucas Harrell did plenty given his lead, allowing four runs (three earned) in six innings, but then it got interesting. David Carpenter gave up two runs plus a third to his name when Brett Myers came in and gave up a home run to Rafael Furcal, but after a walk to Matt Holliday, Myers got Allen Craig to ground out to end it.

At the plate: It was a terrific day for Jose Altuve, who hit safely in his first four at-bats before hitting into a double play and settling for tying his career high in hits.

Under the radar: Brian Bogusevic was placed in the No. 8 spot with a lefty on the mound, but once that lefty lasted only two innings, it was Bogusevic’s advantage. In his first at-bat against a righty reliever, he went deep off the foul pole in right.

• • •

It was starting to look like 2011 all over again for both teams.

The Astros were unable to hold things together no matter how big the lead in a microcosm of their 2011 misadventure. The Cardinals were acting out a microcosm of their whole come-from-behind season on the field where they clinched an unlikely playoff spot.

But with a five-run lead down to one Tuesday night, the Astros found their 2012 selves again and held on to beat the Cardinals 9-8 at Minute Maid Park.

Jose Altuve led the way with a hit barrage, and Justin Maxwell and Brian Bogusevic added home runs. David Carpenter allowed three of the four runners he faced to reach.

By the time Brett Myers was hastily summoned for the save, two had scored, and another would score along with Rafael Furcal, who pulled the Cardinals within one with a two-run homer off the same right-field foul pole Bogusevic kissed earlier in the night.

Myers would settle down, retiring the still-booed Carlos Beltran on a weak popup. Myers then walked Matt Holliday but stranded him when Allen Craig grounded out to first base.

“It was quick. I threw like nine pitches in the pen; I wasn’t ready at all,” Myers said, having taken every possible second that Brad Mills could stall on the mound in a talk with Carpenter. “But that’s nobody’s fault. That’s just the way the game goes sometimes.”

Make no mistake, the Astros are not a winning team in 2012. Hardly opinion, it’s written on the standings page.

But the 2012 Astros do take care of games they’re supposed to win, and the offense made this one a game they were supposed to win for Lucas Harrell, who pitched six innings and gave up a three-run homer to Matt Adams in the third and one other (unearned) run.

Altuve was the constant “tick-tick-tick” of the offense ready to explode, going 4-for-5 with two doubles for his fourth game in his last six with three or more hits.

Maxwell provided the “boom” with a shot to left that easily cleared the high wall of the Crawford Boxes to give the Astros a 6-1 lead in the second inning.

“We did a good job of putting some runs up early, and we needed every single one of them tonight,” Maxwell said.

It was a game they were supposed to break out with how ineffective Cardinals lefthander Jaime Garcia was. By admission on both sides of the stadium after the game, Garcia, who had been battling elbow soreness, didn’t have it and lasted just 43 pitches, giving up six runs in two innings.

A lead they should have had turned into a win they should have had, and while it wasn’t always easy, that’s the best thing you can call a microcosm of the 2012 Astros.